The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-02
LIVING DUMMIES.
Weil-Formed and Graceful Women Who
Pose for Cloak and Dress-Maksrs.

| Wel-Formed and Graceful Women Who
Pose for Cloak and Dress-Makers.
"YOu must not use the term 'employe'
In speaking of any young lady who
permits the use of her figure for the
display of our cloaks and dresses. They
are artists, and theirs is profession
and not an employment"
The young gentleman who so spoke
was junior partner in great Bsoad.
way cloak and suit house which main
tains its own factory and sells goods
only at wholesale. He was engrossed
/ in the hazardous and difficult duty Of
trying to persuade III out of 12O young
women who had responded to the fol.
lowing advertisement that they did moi
| fill the bill:
young ladies wanted as figure q
IL IS and 30 busts. for suits and cloaks. Addrasi
-, No. - Broadway.
There is no difficulty" he continued,
Sin finding any number of young
women with thirty-six or thirty-eight.
inch busts. or any other normal measure
ments. The figure is easily found. but
the figure is not an artistic In addition
to the figure, which must be beautiful
and perfect, we require grace, style
and action. A lady who possesses all
these requirements is worth her weight
in gold. She is of more value to us
than ten statesmen"
Within very few years living figures
have come to be regarded as essential
in nearly all the branches of the dry
goods trade, but especially in the cloak
and suit line. All the wholesale houses
employ them, they are to be found in
many departments of the great retail
establishments, and no factory now at
tempts TO pattern its styles from dunn
mics. Many of the young women who
pose as figures have incomes which en-
able them to live and dress in the most
expensive style.
Hard to find perfect figures?" unused
the junior partner. ''WellI should say
so. Exactly sixty-three women called
this morning to fill one vacancy for a
No. SO bust, which is considered the
correct measurement for lady of
medium build. Some of them ran as
high as 46. and others, padding ex-
cluded, ran down to No. 80"
"How do your figures range in meas
urement?"
From No. 80 to No. AZ. ANY bust
below No. S2represents an undeveloped
girl, and any higher than No. AZ is con-
sidered too stout to be stylish. OF course,
we can fit any bust or height, no matter
how large or small, but we manufacture
for the wholesale trade, and it does not
pay us to manufacture large line of
goods for which there is no general de-
mand. Single special orders are usually
filed by retailers or modistes at extra
expense"
"But you have stated that there is no
difficulty in securing the desired size?"
The size is but one and the least i'm
portant essential. Buyers-even whole
sale buyers-have an eye for grace
and beauty. They will purchase bill
of goods for the display of a garment
on a woman with fine action, which
they would not touch when shown on q
woman with exactly the same figure,
but who is deficient in grace and move
ment."
"How many ladies act as figures IN
stores and warehouses;"
81 should say there are over four
hundred, and the money paid for their
services probably exceeds 100000 a
year.
do these figures perform any other
duties than those indicated?"
Those who are extremely high
toned would not consent to perform
any other duties. There are some girls
who are more business-like and matter
of-fact; and they act as sales-ladies
in their leisure moments. This .rule
applies only, however, to the retail
houses"
"How many figures does a single
house employe"
Twelve well-assorted figures will
make pretty complete set. In the
most popular sizes, ranging from No.
So to No. 80. double sets of figures are
usually employed in the larger estab-
lishments. When there is double set
of the same numbered bust one of the
models is usually that of woman of
low stature, and the other is taller.
Some houses that do very heavy busi-
ness and have an extremely stylish
custom maintain quadruple sets of
figures"
During this conversation, which was
frequently interrupted by questions, the
beautiful living figures, who have at
tanned perfection in motion and posing,
moved gracefully around the large sales
room, evidently fully conscious of their